February 15th

The Successes of Palestinian Authority Institution Building
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Huffington Post
by Ziad Asali - February 14, 2011 - 1:00am

For decades, the political process simply meant negotiations about the often-repeated final status issues. Hopes were raised and then dashed in extended clusters of negotiations, numerous international conferences, TV appearances and commentaries by politicians and pundits that yielded no meaningful progress toward resolution of the conflict.

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More Arab democracy, Palestinian this time
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from NOW Lebanon
by Hussein Ibish - February 15, 2011 - 1:00am

In what is probably a long-overdue move, the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah has called for new local, presidential and parliamentary elections before September.

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February 14th

ATFP President, Ziad Asali speaks at the University of Oxford about the State-Building Program. Israel seems more relaxed about Egypt's future and Tom Freidman says it should be happy with the outcome though it does not seem to be. The head Palestinian negotiator resigns. The PLO announces elections by September, but Hamas denounces the plan. The PA cabinet will resign in preparation for a reshuffle. Pres. Abbas calls for an end to attacks on Qatar. Israel still has major input on Palestinian security measures. Calls are issued to investigate an extremist rabbi's possible ties to the assassin of PM Rabin. Shlomo Avineri says peace with Egypt is essential for Israel. The Jerusalem Post says Palestinians can learn lessons from the Egyptian experience. PM Fayyad says he does not know of any state that opposes Palestinian independence. Patrick Seale says Egypt's relationship with Israel will become more distant.

Asali speaks at the University of Oxford about State-Building Program
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from
by Ziad Asali - February 13, 2011 - 1:00am

Click here to see Dr. Asali's remarks in Arabic from Annahar. For decades, the political process simply meant negotiations about the often-repeated final status issues. Hopes were raised and then dashed in extended clusters of negotiations, numerous international conferences, TV appearances and commentaries by politicians and pundits that yielded no meaningful progress toward resolution of the conflict.

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For Palestinian police in West Bank, Israel is still laying down the law
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Amira Hass - February 14, 2011 - 1:00am

Last week's column, which in Hebrew was titled "Dispersing a demonstration with a French scent," prompted a visit to the headquarters of EUPOL COPPS, the EU Police Coordination Office for Palestinian Police Support, which trains the civilian police force in the West Bank. The initiative was theirs, and the perfume, it turns out, was Jean Paul Gaultier.

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Top Israeli intellectuals to state: Probe rabbi's alleged link to Rabin assassination
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Jonathan Lis - February 13, 2011 - 1:00am

Leading Israeli intellectuals and Israel Prize laureates demanded the immediate firing of a top rabbi accused of supporting a book justifying the killing of non Jews on Saturday, urging the state to investigate him for his alleged role in the assassination of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Last week, police issued a warrant for the arrest of Dov Lior, the head rabbi of Kiryat Arba and a senior figure in religious Zionism, following the rabbi's refusal to appear for questioning on the support he gave for the controversial book "Torat Hamelech."

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Abbas orders Palestinian media not to attack Qatar
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
February 13, 2011 - 1:00am

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday ordered Palestinian media and official spokesmen not to attack Qatar's Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. The order, published by official news agency Wafa, bans official media, spokesmen of Palestine Liberation Organization and Fatah movement from harming Qatar and its Emir. According to the order, the spokesmen can respond to Al-Jazeera 's campaign against the Palestinian leadership "by refuting the lies and claims."

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For Israel, peace with Egypt is not just an asset
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Shlomo Avineri - (Opinion) February 14, 2011 - 1:00am

In wake of the upheaval that has swept through Egypt and much of the region, it is important to remind ourselves that peace with Egypt is not only a strategic asset, but a moral value as well. Recently, we here were presented with a rather problematic choice: Do we support democracy, or do we support the Israeli interest in maintaining security and stability? When a moral value (democracy ) is thus posited against realpolitik (stability and security ), it is easy to lapse into the argument that Israel supports despotism.

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Palestinian PM to resign for reshuffle: sources
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
February 13, 2011 - 1:00am

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad will resign Monday to open the door for reshuffling his West Bank-based government, sources said Sunday. The sources told Xinhua that Fayyad would form and lead the new government. Months ago, Abbas declared that the government would be expanded and modified. The news about the new government followed several decisions made by the Palestinian leadership to settle a state of internal split between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, where rival Hamas movement holds sway.

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For valid elections
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
(Editorial) February 13, 2011 - 1:00am

The ripple effects of Hosni Mubarak’s ouster over the weekend are being felt all over the region. The message being sent out from Tahrir Square is that Mideast leaders who want to stay in power must garner legitimacy through a fair, democratic election process.

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